News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-12-01
CELESTE'S WEDDING.

One day, business requiring my pres
ence at X, small town with a popu
lation of 5000 or 6, 900 inhabitants
distant twenty hours from Paris,
arrived there about ten in the forenoon
and was greatly surprised to find tn
streets which are generally so silent ant
peaceful, unusually animated. Group
of men were standing in front of tn
shops, women were gossiping at tn
windows, young men and young girl
were vending their way toward tn
public square, while urchins were run
ming about in every direction.
The Hotel of Commerce, my Gus
tomary stopping place, seemed upside
down. Travellers, who had been aban
doned to their fate by the walters, were
Juggling furiously at their bell cords,
one calling for his boots, another fol
his breakfast, this one wanted his mail
that one his paper, while the corridors
were the scene of an indescribable con-
fusion. The master of the house,
stout, jovial man, known to all as Fathe
Philip, travelled up stairs and down
perspiring, painting, and fumbling at
loss as to which call he should answer
first. 1 stopped him as he was going
by.
''He.lol Father Philip" said 1 with 6
laugh, ''what's the matteri Are your
servants on striker
'.AhP' replied he, as he mopped his
face furiously with his handkerchief,
E'don't speak of it sir. Although l had
forbidden it, they have all gone to the
wedding. All! here they are now, COM
ing backl 1t is about time!'
With contrite looks and hanging
heads, the three walters were returning
as he SAID, sneaking along the wall
But father Philip, red as a boiled lob
ster, had caught sight of them, and
without waiting for explain ations, he
bawled at the top of his voice:
''Say, are you all trying to make a
fool of me? Augusta, chocolate to z,
coffee with milk to II, letters to g.!
Emile's les boots, 6's hat, Petit Journal
to 2 No. Is bill Jules, 14's break
fast, the Time Table for 81. /"
Without questions, August, Emile and
Jules disappeared up the staircase as if
by magic. We heard them scurrying
along the halls on the upper floor; doors
were slammed and five minutes later the
house had recovered its usual serenity.
Then only did Father Philip become
more calm and turning to me he said:
''Why, you have not been relieved of
your vallse yet l beg your pardon.
Ali my hear sir, one is anything but
happy when he has to deal with such
scampsl But then l cannot be angry
with them to-day. The whole town is
topsey-turvey on account of the we'd
ding"
eWhose wedding"
''Ah! that's so. You have Just ar
rived and could not know. 1t is the
marriage of Mile. Bondurandp
T. "..tering this last sentence Father
PLlup was very probably under the i'm
preston that l was going to exclaim:
THAT accounts for it. as he seemed
most unpleasantly surprised when 1
replied, without dreaming that l might
give offense: 81 can't see why the mar
riage of that particular lady should have
revolutionized the town in this way"
He disdainfully stuck out his neither
lip, a sure sign that he was pouting, or
as his waiter would say, Showing his
lip" Still, he was on the point of ex-
planning why such cause had produced
so good an effect, when the rumbling of
carriages resounded in the street and the
air was filed with cries of "Here they
come! here they Gomez
1t was the wedding-the famous we'd
ding of Mile. Bondurand---which, after
the ceremony at the town hall and at
church was passing by the hotel on its
way to the brides residence. 1t was
followed by crowd of idlers who ran
along, shouting, waving their hats, and
showing each other, even under the
horses feet, as they scrambled in the
dust after the sugar-plums the grooms-
men were throwing by handfuls through
the carriage windows.
We had posted ourselves on the stoop
to get better view of the cortege as
it went by. Father Philip shared in
the general enthusiasm, and seemed
hugely delighted as he pointed out to
me the family and the invited guests.
''There is Monsieur Bondurand, the
brides father, in the second carriage.
Hello! his wife is not with him!
Parbieu, she has got into her daughters
vehicle That bald-headed gentleman
is our sous prSfet.
"And who is that peasant woman in
full dress2 She seems quite impressed
by the grand company in which she
finds herself"
THAT is the groom's mother, old
woman seem happy? Anyhow, there
she is, for the first time in her life, rid
ing in carriage.
''The groom is not rich man thenT'
''Whoi Jacques Florent? Why, he
hasn't cent to his name"
'And his wife2'
'cMlle. Celeste Bondurand has a
dowry of 500, 900 francs, without men
tioning future expectations.
"Monsieur Jacques Florent has fallen
into well-ined nest"
Master Philip smiled approvingly.
AS his eyes fell upon the occupants of
two of the carriages in the cortege, he
suddenly exclaimed:
"There they are! there they arer
They were invited, too, it seems. 'That
is capital JOKE" he added, laughing
until the tears rolled down his fat
cheeks. "'Tis really good jokei Do
you see theml''
''Do 1 see whom2 1 don't see any
thing to laugh at"
"There, in the sixth carriage, that
tall, light-haired man at the side of that
young girl in pink dress with white
hat, is Monsieur de Vauvilain, the chief
baillff. And in the other vehicle, that
small, fat man, with the lady in green,
is NJ. Chapuis, the wealthy land owner.
There is no doubt of it, they are both
invited to the wedding"
''Why, of course, Father Philip, or
you would not see them In carriages
following the bride. But tell me, why
do you find 1t so funny that those gen.
tlemen should be invited to attend
Mile. Bondurands wedding"
'"Tis truel / always forget that you
have just arrived and have, as yet, heard
nothing of it.. Ifyou only knew. All,
no, let me laugh"
"There is an amusing story connected
with the marriage thenp
Amusing if you wish-that is, to
those who are acquainted with the
parties"
GAN the same, tell it to me, father
Philip, long to hear it."
Being welI-informed, loquacious inn
keeper, Father Philip did not require
much persuasion. The wedding train
and the crowd had disappeared. We
were alone on the veranda, where trav-
elers generally slipped their coffee.
ordered two cups and after tasting his
the old fellow commenced as follows:
81 must begin by telling you that
Jacques Florent, whom you have just
noticed, and who has married so well,
was born in this neighborhood. We
,,-o5 20 oaa him 1Uheu otIita small ooinO